Five Writing Rules You’re Allowed to Break-

I was looking through some blogs I saved and ran across this one written on June 17, 2011 By Erik Deckers, and realized immediately why I saved it to read again and again.  I hope you enjoy it.  Rita

     Chances are, you’re repeating some grammar and writing rules as gospel, not knowing they’re completely wrong. Or that they changed. Or that they were never really rules to begin with.

Whatever the reason, you can stop doing them. In fact, you should stop doing them.

     I’m trying to undo the writing rules my daughter’s 8th grade teacher has been foisting upon her, showing her that they’re not really legitimate, but some arbitrary rule that someone made up to make our language fit a preconceived structure. The English language is an ever-changing organic system that defies most rules. The ones that were created hundreds of years ago — like “don’t end your sentences in a preposition” — was never correct. Other ones like “don’t use incomplete sentences” have changed.

1. You CAN end your sentences with a preposition - This one doesn’t always work, but for a good bit of the time it’s true. The rule was created by a scholar, Robert Lowth, who wanted English to bend to the same rules as Latin. In the Latin sentence structure, it’s not possible to have a sentence end with a preposition. Ergo, said Lowth, English shouldn’t either.

     But it’s wrong. There are times you have to end your sentences in a preposition. For example, let’s say you stepped in something that stinks, and your friend says to you, “In what did you step?”

     Wouldn’t you look at her like she lost her mind?

     In that instance, it’s perfectly okay to say “what did you step in?” It’s proper English, it’s grammatically correct, and it doesn’t sound completely idiotic.

     On the other hand, “where’s it at?” is wrong.

The basic rule is that if you can remove a preposition and the sentence still works, you shouldn’t use the preposition. But if you remove it, and the sentence changes, you should leave the preposition at the end.

     Okay: What did you step in?
     Not Okay: Where is it at?

2. You CAN start a sentence with And, But, or Or - This may have been a real English class rule at one point, but no longer. Common usage has rendered it obsolete. People talk this way. People write this way. It may not be completely accepted in business writing, but I can foresee that hurdle breaking down in the next ten years as more business people speak that way.

Besides, it looks pretty cool. And dramatic. And punchy. And intense.

     And it turns out the practice has been around since the 10th century. It’s just some arbitrary rule our English teachers liked to enforce without ever knowing why.

3. You don’t have to start with the dependent clause first - A dependent clause is that sentence clause that can’t exist on its own. “Before the trial even ended” is a dependent clause (also called a subordinate clause). And we were told that you needed to start sentences with a dependent clause.

     “Before the trial even ended, the real killer had been arrested and the defendant was set free.” not “The real killer had been arrested and the defendant was set free, before the trial even ended.” Even though you might want the important information at the front of the sentence, our teachers told us to put the dependent clause first.

     You don’t have to do that anymore. For one thing, it sounds clunky. For another, there are times where the dependent clause will get in the way. Third, there are times a dependent clause needs to be set apart in a different way.

     “The real killer was arrested — before the trial even ended — and the defendant was freed.”

     It doesn’t always fit at the end, but it doesn’t always have to go first either.

     Your better bet? Eliminate the dependent clause completely, or make it a standalone sentence. Which brings me to my next point.

4. You CAN use incomplete sentences - This was a very minor point of contention while I was writing Branding Yourself (affiliate link). One of my editors would tell me not to use incomplete sentences.

Like this.

     “But it’s a style choice,” I would say. “Not a grammar issue.”

     And while you don’t want to make that a regular habit, stylistically, it doesn’t hurt to do it once in a while. It’s another common usage issue, where enough people have begun doing this that the grammar sticklers have to bow to majority rules and allow the change in the accepted use. (They don’t have to like it, and they’ll talk about it at dinner parties, but they’ll generally leave you alone about it.)

     They also add some punch and drama to your writing, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. Pepper them occasionally throughout your writing and see what it does for you.

5. A sentence does not always contain a subject, a verb, and an object. A paragraph does not always contain 3 – 5 sentences. - Journalists violate this rule all the time.

     Because it’s a dumb rule. And untrue.

      For one thing, people read differently than they did 30 years ago. We’re so impatient that we don’t want to read a lot of text. We need white space to break up the monotony of the Tolstoy-esque blocks of text we find in some books, tech manuals, and magazines. If you’ve ever looked at a page with a lot of tiny text and no breaks at all, you know what I’m talking about.

      Newspaper publishers learned a long time ago that people won’t read long paragraphs and über-long sentences. So they encouraged writers to use short punchy words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.

     Even one sentence paragraphs.

     My daughter has been told her paragraphs all need to be 3 – 5 sentences long, and I keep telling her it’s not only unnecessary, but it leads to bad writing. If you try to fill up every paragraph with 3 – 5 sentences, you start writing filler just to get there.

     But if you keep some extra white space in your writing — by using short paragraphs — people are more likely to continue reading long beyond when they thought they would quit.

     How about you? What writing rules do you gladly (or unwittingly) violate? Are there rules you wish you could break? 

Picky, Picky, Picky

Let's face it...most of us who write also read.  I know my Kindle is bulging at the seams with books I've downloaded and want to sit back and enjoy, but this darn editorial eye of mine keeps me from enjoying my favorite pastime like I used to.

I wish I could read my own stuff with an editorial eye, but because I'm the originator of the work, my brain reads what it supposes should be there.  Of course, that isn't the case with other people's writing.  If you equate reading with eating, I've met a few brussel spouts I didn't like.

Part of the rite of passage in being as author is working with editors to hone your work to their finest. I'm discovering more and more books out there, especially by self-published authors that are laden with the most amateur mistake--mistakes that could have been caught by a second set of eyes.  In my ten plus years of writing, I've learned so much for editors...in fact, more than I ever want to know. 

 I've discovered that applying rules is like using salt on your food.  Too much is bad for you, but moderation is the key. I've tried to remember the writing guidelines that make the most sense to me and adhere to them.  The problem: New rules crop up every day, and some of them even contradict what I thought I already knew.  I've decided I have to be true to my own voice and pick and choose what works for me.  We all have a unique style and we need to stick in our comfort zone...but within reason.

As far as my own nitpicks...I decided to share a few with you and see if you agree.  Feel free to add your own in the comments.  We all might learn something...that is if you have room in your already crammed brain for one more fact.  *lol*

I dislike:

Too many tags.  Often identifying the name of the speaker isn't even necessary because in most cases, there are only two people in the room.  John and Mary have met, and if you've introduced them to the reader, no need to keep spitting out their names every other sentence. 

Starting a book and having no idea what the time period or setting is.   Yikes.  What a waste of time to have to read backwards because you get deep into the chapter and have no idea if you're in the eighteenth or twentieth century.  I love a story that gives me a big clue so I put myself in the right setting and know exactly where I am.

Sentences that begin with "it."  This is a big nit pick for me.  Usually there is no hard noun that precedes this pronoun so I find myself in predicaments where I have no idea with "IT" is.  Which would you rather see at the beginning of a story?  I think most uses indicate someone too lazy to search for a word that is a better fit.

It was a cold and cloudy day.
Steel-colored clouds blanketed the sky, and icy fingers clung to the north wind.  Goosebumps peppered her pale skin...


Unnecessary phrases...- This is my newest quest to avoid.  I've recently learned that using phrases like "She heard, she watched, she saw, she knew, are in most cases unnecessary if I've set a solid POV for the reader.  Suppose you're reading from my heroine's perspective and I've locked you there.  As a reader, you will know who is doing the seeing, hearing, watching and feeling, so some find it an insult to their intelligence to keep reminding them.

Resisting the Urge to Explain or RUE.  We've already established that readers are pretty savvy and figure things out without the author pointing out the obvious.  This is a continuation of what I discussed above, but take it a step further and consider the last few words in each sentence.  If our hero is aiming a gun at the bad guy, and pulls the trigger...do we really need to say, "He took aim and shot at him"?  I think the reader will assume who is getting shot.  *lol*  Consider the scene, then re-evaluate the closing words in each sentence.  If you're using "at her, for him, etc.," you may not need to wear so much polish off your manicure.  Continually explaining things to your reader becomes redundant and boring.

Repetition.  As an author, I appreciate how difficult it is to recall what you've previously written.  This is a big reason why you need to be part of a critique group or have beta readers to provide feedback.  Nothing is more annoying than having the eye and hair color of the characters described in fifteen different chapters, or learning pertinent information again in chapter ten that you learned in great detail back in chapter three.  I'm reading a book right now that I'm ready to throw against the wall because every chapter is a reminder of how red the heroine's hair is.  I almost think I could cough up a furrball!

Okay...there are a ton more nit picks I have, but I'm going to stop before I become redundant and boring.  I'm not saying I'm not guilty of these writing faux pas as I've read some of my older work and see the very mistakes I despise.  The only thing I can promise is that future work will be better, because every day I learn something new from my critique partners and from reading work that has been well-edited and superbly written.  Just don't expect me to leave out all the 'ly' words because someone takes offense with them.  There are some cases that call for a description that fits no other way.  I'm working on minimizing...sort of like the new bra I just found.  :)






  

The Impact of Editing, Writing and Reading

This is how I hope readers view my work.  I want to make colors so vibrant, emotions so real, and characters so likeable, that people can connect with the storyline and experience my tale through the eyes of the hero or heroine.  That's the sign of an author who knows their craft.

I have confidence that I've achieved my goal in most of my books.  Short stories, not so much.  I find reviewers comment about the length, wishing for more, so that tells me that I've connected in some way, but there is only so much you can pack into fewer words.

New rules crop up every day and make me question where they come from.  As someone who has been writing for over ten years now, I wonder if they existed way back when, and my editors weren't versed enough in writing themselves to know about them.  When I first started, a great majority of the editorial staff on board we authors with credentials and experience not much more than my own.  My first editor was very knowledgeable about historical facts, and I learned a ton from her about showing my story to the reader, but passive voice, head hopping, and cause before effect didn't seem to matter to her, nor did the numerous times I used "that" which later was cause for a rejection from another house.

Now my latest quirk has become the use of identifying tags that are now deemed unnecessary.  Evidently, in the characters' POV, the reader will assume that the person doing the knowing, seeing, hearing, etc, is the main character, so sentences starting with she heard, she knew, she watched, she saw, etc., add nothing but words to the story.

Speaking of words...I tend to see lots of the above sentences in mainstream writing...in fact in most books I've read lately, so I wonder are authors adding them to up their word count.  I also wonder if readers notice the number of times we use a character's name in paragraphs...especially when forced to in order to help them decipher between characters.  I recently received a critique where the critiquer had highlighted every instance of the heroine's name, which seemed excessive to her.  I wrote back and explained that through various editing experiences, I'd learned pronouns reflect back on the last person named, so if I introduced another character into the scene, I had to name my heroine to differentiate.  Confusing?  Yes!  Of course, when you use too many pronouns, editors take issue with that too.  It all comes down to being able to reword sentences or use phrases that allow a breather from the norm.  I'm learning still.  Writing is one career or pastime where you never stop acquiring new knowledge.  The problem is determining whether it's factual or fiction.  Not everything passed along is true or worthy of time spent changing your writing habits. 

Each writer has a voice unique to themselves.  Some houses abhor "ing" starts to sentences, but I assume that's because all authors haven't figured out how to use them correctly.  I critiqued a story a few days ago which was worded something like, Entering the room, her heart fluttered.  If you read it quickly you may gloss over the fact that her heart entered the room.  Where was the rest of her?  I'm sure this is something I did in my earlier writing, but now I try to pay attention and send the whole body along with the heart.

Other publishers want us to avoid 'ly' words and use strong verbs.  There are just some instances where you want to share with the reader that she spoke softly.  She didn't whisper, but she wasn't speaking in her normal tone, so an 'ly' word is called for.  In my opinion, the problem with rules is that we take them literally and don't apply them with rationale.  I had one editor comment that I had removed so much passive voice from my story, my writing sounded stilted and had no flow.

The rule with rules is to apply what works.  Take them with a grain of salt and try to avoid redundancies, find stronger verbs, send in the whole person and not just a body part, and remember that eyes don't roam the room, a gaze does.  Someone doesn't fling their hands in the air, but they might lift their arms over their head.  Leave out the amazing body tricks. You can't chuckle a response, but you can before or after your character speaks, so omit that comma.  Even more annoying for me, are tags that describe a person's speech before they've even spoken.  Which is better for you?

He whispered, "Are you okay?"

"Are you okay," he whispered.

A ton of rules are applied at the discretion of your editor.  You may find one who is annoyed by something as simple as the above example, or you may have one assigned who is more concerned with how many times you use "was."  Tomorrow, it may all be different.  Just remember to check house rules when you submit.  I'm finding a vast difference in requirements concerning punctuation, fonts, spacing, margins, indents, and whether to use "Chapter" or just a number.  Oy vey....so much to absorb and so little brain cells left to work with.   Writing is a challenge, so make sure you're up for it.

Feel free to comment on some of your pet peeves.  I'd love to know that me and my internal editor are not the only ones finding some habits more annoying than others.

When is Enough Enough?

Becoming an author did nothing to enhance my joy in reading.  In fact, as I've learned rules to apply to my own style, I find glaring examples of said faux pas in the writing of other's.  What used to be an enjoyable pastime has now become a struggle to turn off my internal editor and stop looking for problem areas.

I know other authors suffer the same dilemma, but I have to ask, how do we stop that infernal red pen that lives in our head?  Does it ever run out of ink?

Funny, I can't seem to self-edit with any degree of accuracy, but if another author uses passive voice, head hops, or duplicates words within a paragraph, I'm on it like white on rice.  *smile*  New rules crop up every day, it seems, so I always have new things to seek and bitch about.

The biggest complaint I have recently, is when is enough enough?  Do we really need to tell the reader our character clenched his teeth IN FRUSTRATION, or is the fact that he's clenching his teeth a hint to his emotions?  Authors tend to ignore the rule...one I did even know existed until it was explained to me...RUE=Resist the Urge to Explain.

Stories are fraught with more information than readers need to figure things out, but is that a bad thing.  Does it really distract them from the story...do they come to a skidding halt and widen their eyes at "slowly limped" when no one really limps fast?  As writer's we are encouraged to avoid "ly" words and use stronger verbs to show action...example, "she excitedly said" might be "she yelled.  Instead of having her raise her hands in frustration, I might decide to have her clench her fists until her nails dig into her palms.  There's always a variation, and some call it style or voice.  Often, there are times when an "ly" word lends clarity to the situation, and in my opinion, enhance the story.  You can't always find that right word that convey your meaning.  Do readers actually keep count?

The biggest dilemma for me as an author is keeping up with the never-ending rules that continue to crop up everyday and then decide which ones work for me and which don't.  Of course, writers are also governed by house rules.  Some publishers limit the number of exclamation points you can use, some forbid internal thoughts, some encourage them.  Life just keeps getting more and more confusing.  Am I the only one who feels this way?  If you really want to be confused, join a critique group and be exposed to the rules everyone has learned.  How does one decide which suggestions merit thought and which are which coming from someone who hasn't been around long enough to know better?  Don't use "she," use the character's name, "don't use the character's name, use a pronoun.  Geez Louise!

I can't remember where I put my car keys at any given moment, but I'm supposed to recall which publisher allows what, who wants twelve point fonts as opposed to fourteen, when to use "Chapter One," or just "One", or if it's Tuesday, is it alright to post to Romance Cafe or Coffee Time.  Honestly, no wonder dementia strikes so many seniors.  It's protection from all these blasted rules.

Just to test the water...here's an excerpt from my latest WIP.  Did I tell too much, did I confuse you, have I mastered anything at all in ten years of writing?  Trust me, I know better than to expect everyone to see my style as their cup of tea.  No matter what you write, some will gush over it, some will hate it.  There's just no making everyone happy.

Excerpt from Hattie's Hero:

Hattie rode until the rocking wagon lulled the children to sleep then slid over the tailgate, intent on walking a while.  The sun beat down with relentless heat, making her thankful for the wide-brimmed bonnet from Abby.  An occasional breeze rifled the knee-high grass and brought momentary respite, but sweat adhered her gingham dress to her like cloying hands.  How the children slept inside the stifling confines of the wagon puzzled her. At least, outside the air moved, and she enjoyed the break from care taking. Lost in thought, she trudged onward.

A horse’s snort blew moist air on her neck, and she jumped.  She gazed up into the warm brown eyes of Tom Wainright.

He doffed his hat.  “Good day, Miss Hattie.”

At the deep timbre of his voice, goose bumps peppered her arms despite the midday heat.

“Good day, Deputy.”

“It’s a mite warm to be walkin’, would you care for a ride?”

As inviting the thought of being cradled in his arms or sitting behind and hugging him might be, she was warm enough already.  Besides, she probably didn’t smell like a budding rose at the moment.

“No, thank you.” She smiled up at him. “I enjoy walking.  I don’t get much time away from the children, so this is my opportunity to reflect.”

“Oh…then I’m sorry to intrude.”

She stumbled on a stone, but kept her balance.  “N-no, you aren’t intruding.  I simply wanted to explain why I wasn’t accepting your generous offer.”

“Speaking of offers, I wonder if you might like to dine with me this evening.  I’m not much of a cook, but I can whip up some bacon and eggs, and the fellas I’m travelin’ with tell me I make a mean cup a joe.”

Her heart hitched.  She scanned the area for Billy.  Would he be upset if he saw her talking to Tom?  Probably, and that concerned her.  Then, Abby’s words echoed in her ears, reminding her Billy hadn’t actually asked for her hand. Stood to reason she wasn’t spoken for. So why did she feel so awkward?